With lots of trade action already consuming the entire National Hockey League, I figured now would be a good time to post an e-mail interview I did with Terry Mercury of NHL Home Ice.

Terry was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to tell us his thoughts on which teams would be active, which teams would not be active as well as how NHL Home Ice will have coverage throughout the day for puckheads around the world.

PH: Before we get into trade deadline talk, give us your thoughts on the trade the Toronto Maple Leafs made involving Kris Versteeg? How do you think it has/will impact the Leafs going forward?TM:The Kris Versteeg trade was a solid deal for both teams. Versteeg just didn’t seem to fit in with the Maple Leafs…and the draft picks the Leafs got from Philly were desperately needed. Versteeg will probably find his touch with the Flyers simply because he won’t be looked at a front-line guy…so a lot of the pressure will be off.

PH: Who are some of the teams you think will make a big move (s) at the deadline? Why?TM:After this week a lot of the teams that I thought would be movers and shakers may have already made their moves long before Trade Deadline day. I still think Calgary is going to do something… and I think Pittsburgh and Vancouver both HAVE to do something. Look for Montreal and Los Angeles also to try and do something.

PH: Who are some of the teams you think will stand pat at the deadline? Why?TM:I won’t say definitely….but maybe Detroit simply because they have a pretty strong lineup…and Edmonton because they are building for the future MAY stand still…but that’s only a maybe.

PH: Who do you think are some of the big players, if anyone, that might be dealt at the deadline? How can they impact another hockey club?TM:I’ll stay with my original feeling….and say despite their recent upswing….the Calgary Flames will still entertain strong offers for Jarome Iginla and Mikka Kiprusoff. Edmonton might also be persuaded to move Dustin Penner as well.

PH: How will NHL Home Ice have hockey fans covered on the big day?TM:NHL HOME ICE will have Trade Deadline Day covered from early in the morning on Hockey This Morning...all the way to late into the night with ICE CAP. Besides our regular programming….we’ll also make sure to keep you informed with regular Updates.

PH: Is there anything else you’d like to share with Kukla’s Korner readers?TM:Just the usual…if you can’t get NHL HOME ICE on XM Satellite Radio…keep checking out Kukla’s Korner to stay up-to-date on what’s happening around the Hockey World.

About Goal Line Report

Patrick has a tremendous passion for hockey. Besides covering the Rangers and the NHL for Kukla's Korner, you can also find Patrick's work over at Sportsnet.ca, The Red Light District Hockey Blog, NHL Home Ice, and Liam Maguire's Ultimate Hockey web site.

Prior to writing for the above mentioned outlets, you could find Patrick's musings at hockey web sites/outlets such as TheHockeyNews.com, TheFourthPeriod.com, Spector's Hockey, Hokeja Vestnesis, Blueshirt Bulletin, SNYRangersBlog.com and many more.